Key result
Daily consultation by a pharmacist for patients starting warfarin significantly reduced the length of hospitalization compared to physician management (6.8 vs 9.5 days; p=0.009).
Why the study?
Does daily consultation by a pharmacist-managed anticoagulation service reduce length of hospitalization and excessive anticoagulation in hospitalized patients starting warfarin?
Population
120 hospitalized patients starting warfarin for the first time at a 400-bed university teaching hospital.
Comparison
Daily consultation by a pharmacist-managed… vs Anticoagulation therapy managed by physicians.
Design
Cohort
Follow-up
Up to 3 months post-discharge
Authors
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Pharmacist-managed warfarin initiation was associated with shorter stays and fewer excessive INRs; leaves open whether RCTs would confirm benefits for practice.
Cohort (n=120)
No
Does daily consultation by a pharmacist-managed anticoagulation service reduce length of hospitalization and excessive anticoagulation in hospitalized patients starting warfarin?
Absolute Event Rate: 6.8% vs 9.5%
p-value: p=0.009
Pharmacist-managed anticoagulation services for initial inpatient warfarin dosing significantly reduce hospital length of stay and the incidence of excessive anticoagulation compared to physician-led dosing.
Dager et al. (2000) conducted a cohort in Starting warfarin for the first time (n=120). Daily consultation by a pharmacist-managed anticoagulation service vs. Anticoagulation therapy managed by physicians was evaluated on Length of hospitalization (p=0.009). Daily consultation by a pharmacist for patients starting warfarin significantly reduced the length of hospitalization compared to physician management (6.8 vs 9.5 days; p=0.009).
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